Harrington & Richardson
founded in 1871 – 2015
Massachusetts
- 1875 Harrington & Richardson = Nathan Harrington and William Richardson (former S&W employee)
– Harrington was president
– Richardson was treasurer - 1871 – 1877 at 18 Manchester Street, Worcester, MA
- 1877 – 1894 at 31 Hermon Street, Worcester, MA
- 1897 Harrington and Richardson both passed away
– held by Harrington’s son and Richardson’s wife - 1894 new facility in Worcester, Massachusetts
- 1950 new facility in Drummondville, Québec, Canada
- 1960s was acquired by the Kidde corporation
- 1986 original H&R company went out of business, and building was demolished
- Was in business for over a century from 1871 to 1986
- 1991 – H&R 1871, Inc., was formed
– using original H&R designs - November 2000 bought by Marlin Firearms
- December, 2007 acquired by Remington Arms Company
- 2008 production was moved to Ilion, N.Y.
- February 27, 2015 – “H&R 1871” ceased production
About Harrington & Richardson
Harrington & Richardson grew out of Wesson & Harrington, formed in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1871 by Frank Wesson and Gilbert Henderson Harrington. Harrington bought out Wesson in 1874, and in 1875 he and William Augustus Richardson founded the Harrington & Richardson Company, incorporated in 1888 as the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company. H&R became known for affordable revolvers and single-shot shotguns and rifles that put a dependable firearm within reach of ordinary American families.
H&R also served the U.S. military. During World War II it built the Reising submachine gun and the Leatherneck .22 training rifle for the Marine Corps; it received a Korean War contract for M1 rifles, held one of three M14 production contracts from 1959 to 1964, and produced M16A1 rifles during the Vietnam War. The original company closed in 1986. H&R 1871, Inc. was formed in 1991 to carry on the designs, came under Marlin in 2000 and Remington in 2007, and moved production to Ilion, New York in 2008 before production ended on February 27, 2015. In the 2020 Remington bankruptcy the brand was sold at auction to JJE Capital Holdings.
Key Facts
- 1871: Wesson & Harrington formed in Worcester, Massachusetts
- 1875: Harrington and Richardson found the Harrington & Richardson Company
- 1959-1964: One of three makers of the M14 rifle
- 1986: Original company closes
- 1991: H&R 1871, Inc. formed
- February 27, 2015: H&R 1871 production ends
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Sources
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